With their 2021 salary cap situation settled, where do the Saints stand for 2022?
There’s a light at the end of the tunnel. With lucrative contract extensions worked out between the NFL and its broadcasting partners, the salary cap is going to the moon — but not until 2023. That means another lean year is in store for the Saints and every other team as they work towards salary cap compliance next year.
It wasn’t easy, but the Saints were able to reach cap compliance in 2021 by cutting costs throughout their roster, and they are worse off for it. It’s going to introduce new hurdles for them to overcome by rushing rookies, second-year pros, and career backups into prominent positions.
But Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane expects a healthier salary cap outlook for 2022, though it’s going to take a while longer for teams’ spending habits to get back to normal.
“This next year is still an unknown,” Beane said during an appearance on SiriusXM NFL radio, via Pro Football Talk. “There’s some numbers if stadiums are full, but if they’re not full, the cap this year is 182 [million dollars]. Last year it was 198, so that was a huge drop. We’re kind of projecting 195 to 200 [for the 2022 salary cap]. I’m hoping closer to 200, just to be able to fit as many guys as we can.”
Every team projects its own numbers, but this is probably a good benchmark to keep in mind as the Saints eye the 2022 salary cap. Right now, Over The Cap’s analysts have New Orleans with just over $200.2 million in cap commitments next year, which means they could come close to breaking even if the cap settles at the high end of Beane’s suggestion.
Of course, the Saints have a strong class of 2022 free agents to worry about: both of their bookend tackles Terron Armstead and Ryan Ramczyk, franchise-tagged free safety Marcus Williams, and No. 1 cornerback Marshon Lattimore all among them. Extending any of those players ahead of schedule will go a long way towards making the cap situation more manageable.
So remember: Even if the Saints have to part ways with more good players over the next year, they’ll be able to reload quickly in 2023. That won’t make this any less painful of a process, but it’s something to look forward to. With New Orleans expected to receive nine picks in the 2022 NFL draft, the team will look very different, very soon — but hopefully still as competitive as it’s ever been recently.
